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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26259214">here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyoza/pseuds/cyoza'>cyoza</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Titans (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, he was hot but he was not dick, no disrespect to the psychiatrist, the scene we were SUPPOSED to have</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:02:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26259214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyoza/pseuds/cyoza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a turn of events, it's Dick that has a hard time getting Kory to open up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson/Koriand'r</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kory knew she was making a mistake.</p>
<p>She’d gone to that bar knowing she had no business being there in the emotional state she was in. Yet still, she’d gone and ordered whiskey and coke after whiskey and coke until the room began to skew and she was falling into the arms of the stranger leaning against the pool table and boy was he handsome. He wore his hair in a hi top style, the shape up lining neatly across his forehead sharply before transitioning into the coils that framed the lower part of his face in a goatee. He was perfect. She was on a journey of self destruction and he had just become an unwitting passenger. </p>
<p>Kory knew the effect she had on humans. She knew that every room she walked in, all eyes were on her. Initially she attributed it to the fact that her look was a lot more extravagant than the spaces she entered but even after she toned down her hair and outfits, gazes still followed her. And she began to use that to her advantage, because why wouldn't she? Here, her femininity was a weapon and she was a trained warrior. </p>
<p>So, she flirted and wooed and soon enough she found herself stumbling through the front door of the penthouse hotel room she’d temporarily rented focusing on nothing more than helping her late night venture remove her jacket - just as she’d intended. She cast away any thought of her sister, her responsibilities and concentrated on nothing more than what was occurring at that moment. That was until the faint sound of a throat clearing penetrated through the roaring pulse in her ears and caused her to wrench her lips from the kiss she was tangled in. Her eyes scanned the foyer to meet Dick’s hard eyes as he sat on the stairs leading to the upper part of the suite. </p>
<p>It was as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her and sobered her up quicker than ever, the spinning room beginning to slow. Her heart thudded away in her chest as they stared at each other, his eyes softening the longer they looked at each other but even still neither said anything. Eventually it was the handsome stranger, who she discovered was called Justin, that broke the silence. </p>
<p>‘Uh, I think I’m gonna go..’ He stated uncomfortably. </p>
<p>Kory suddenly remembered he was there and became hyperaware of his hands placed on her waist. She turned around causing him to drop his arms and gave him an apologetic smile. </p>
<p>‘I’m sorry, Justin.’ She apologised. </p>
<p>‘Don’t be, this was fun.’ He smiled back at her before leaning in for a gentle press of his lips on hers. She returned it, grateful for his presence and apologetic for essentially using him, before they pulled apart. ‘Call me if you’re ever back in town.’</p>
<p>She waited until the door shut behind him before she turned back to Dick and found him with steely eyes trained on the floor, jaw clenched. This was going to be a fun conversation. </p>
<p>‘What are you doing here?’ She asked, her voice quiet with apprehension. </p>
<p>‘I was worried about you.’ He informed her, his gaze coming up to connect with hers. ‘But apparently I had no reason to be, you’re obviously having the time of your life so I’ll see myself out too.’ </p>
<p>Just then, a spark of anger flashed through her; he had some nerve being judgemental. So she gave her own loaded rebuttal, the residual alcohol heightening her emotions. </p>
<p>‘Oh? That’s not very on brand for you, you must be really worried to come find me this time. Last time I didn’t even get a phone call.’ She said coldly. </p>
<p>She saw a tick in his jaw at her words, an action she noted always occurred when he was blisteringly angry and was trying to keep calm. Yet, he simply lifted his stare to the ceiling and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down before standing and making his way to her. </p>
<p>‘I apologised for that, you know that.’ His voice still held an edge to it but it was softer than it had been. ‘I didn’t come here to fight with you, Kory.’ </p>
<p>‘Could’ve fooled me.’ She scoffed. </p>
<p>‘I didn’t. I just - I didn’t expect you to have company. It caught me off guard.’ He confessed. </p>
<p>‘Yeah, well, we all have our own ways of dealing.’ She dropped her gaze to the floor and made her way around him to the makeshift bar by the staircase and poured herself a glass of champagne before draining it. </p>
<p>‘Kory…’ Dick began, turning to face her once more. </p>
<p>‘What, Dick? What do you want me to say?’ Her voice started to verge on hysteria, his presence releasing parts of her she’d spent all evening trying to lock up.</p>
<p>‘I’m here, Kory. Talk to me.’ He told her. </p>
<p>‘That’s rich coming from you.’ She snorted, beginning to pour herself another glass. </p>
<p>This time Dick was in front of her in seconds, slipping both the bottle and the glass from her grasp. </p>
<p>‘Kory, stop. Please.’ He set the items down and turned back to her. </p>
<p>He said nothing more and just looked at her, waiting for her. Then, all of a sudden, Kory felt her eyes fill with water, her body slumping against his without her permission. It took a split second before Dick’s arms came around her, clutching her as if he was afraid she might fall into pieces and the way she was feeling she just might’ve. She felt rather than heard his deep sigh, her head rising and falling with his chest, her tears soaking through the simple black button down shirt he wore. They stood in silence for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes before Kory stepped out of his arms and wiped under her eyes with the tips of her fingers. </p>
<p>‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening with me.’ She let out a breathless laugh, looking everywhere but at him. ‘I’m fine now though. So, you can go.’ </p>
<p>‘Kory, you’re obviously not okay.’ He took a step towards her in an attempt to comfort her again but she just took a step back. ‘Aren’t you getting tired of keeping it together all the time?’ </p>
<p>‘Again, the irony of you saying that to me.’ She let out a chuckle devoid of any humour but she could feel the hard exterior she was trying to put up slip further and further from her grasp. Kory considered herself a pretty open person, not really big on keeping secrets for no reason, but Dick seemed to reach a deeper part of her than anyone else did and now that was working against her. So she gave up trying. </p>
<p>‘Alright then. You win.’ She relented, sitting back down on the stairs. ‘You’re gonna wanna sit down for this too.’ </p>
<p>Dick’s brows furrowed at that, an air of anxiety starting to ripple around him but he did as she asked anyway and took a seat next to her. </p>
<p>‘I don’t even know where to start.’ She sighed, burying her face in her hands. </p>
<p>‘Take your time. I’m here.’ He placed a hand on her lower back and hoped it would give her some comfort. </p>
<p>‘I guess I better start with the biggest stuff first.’ She lifted her head from her hands and let out yet another sigh, looking up at the ceiling. ‘I never really told you everything about getting my memories back. I just wasn’t ready to mix the different parts of my life together, but now it’s unavoidable. My family, back in Tamaran, we come from a long line of..royalty. Which makes me also royal..’ </p>
<p>Kory risked a peek at Dick who’s face had paled several shades, his jaw fell open for a few seconds before he forced it shut and asked her a question he already knew the answer to. </p>
<p>‘So, what does that make-’</p>
<p>‘Princess. Technically, I’m next in line for the throne.’ </p>
<p>Of course she was, it all made sense now. Her seemingly unlimited funds, all the fake passports, the way she constantly evaded law enforcement. Dick always assumed she was important but never anything on this level. </p>
<p>‘Right.’ was all he could manage to say but Kory continued talking. </p>
<p>‘At least, I’m supposed to be. My sister has it in her head that she would make a better ruler. So much so that she killed my parents and now she’s trying to kill me. Which isn’t helped by the fact that my powers have decided to stop working. Given everything else going on, I figured I needed to deal with this alone but obviously that isn’t working.’ Kory chuckled sadly. </p>
<p>Dick pressed his lips together, feeling his heart ache for her but also couldn’t help the sliver of frustration that niggled at him. </p>
<p>‘Kory, why would you think you needed to deal with this yourself? You have an entire team behind you, ready to fight to the death for you. We would’ve come in a heartbeat had you let us know.’ He admonished softly. He didn’t miss that she had said something similar to him after Slade had attacked Jason. How the tables had turned. </p>
<p>‘That’s also part of why I didn’t. When I lost my memory, I forgot who I was and my destiny was lost and I could discover things I couldn’t before - freedom, friendship, love.’ Kory looked over to him then, giving him a small smile. ‘I don’t know if I can give all that up anymore.’ </p>
<p>Dick removed his hand from her back to take hers in his. </p>
<p>‘Who says you have to? Won’t you be in charge? You can make the rules from there.’ He reminded her. </p>
<p>‘It’s not that simple, Dick. There are rules and traditions I have to stick to; I won’t have a choice.’ She explained, her eyes sadder than he’d ever seen them. ‘That’s if my sister doesn’’t get to me first.’</p>
<p>‘Kory, you get to choose your own destiny. I don’t think what happened to you is a coincidence, I don’t think it’s at all a fluke that our paths met. Maybe this is exactly where you’re supposed to be and maybe discovering all those things was supposed to happen - to make you a better.’ He suggested. ‘And as for your sister, we’ll handle her when it comes down to it.’ </p>
<p>‘I don’t know, Dick. It all feels like everything is against me right now.’ </p>
<p>‘I’m not. I’m here for as long as you need me. For as long as you want me.’ He professed. </p>
<p>Kory stared into his mahogany eyes then, feeling more at peace than she had for a long time. She observed their warmth, their openness at that moment and somehow felt that everything was going to be okay. But she said nothing more and simply laid her head onto his shoulder, gripping his hand like it was her lifeline; if she was hurting him, he sure wasn’t letting it show and gripped her hand with a similar intensity. She wasn’t sure what he expected when he walked into that room that evening but she was glad that this is where they ended up. She knew that despite everything, she was going to get through this. But she couldn’t do it alone, afterall, no one manages alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Firstly, I want to say I am so sorry for my lack of updates. I recently graduated and was just deflated after putting in so much work and then yno everything in the world happened along with other personal stuff and I just found it difficult to write. But hopefully after this, I will get my spark back and hopefully update Shrike soon but as I am moving very soon it could take a while. </p>
<p>Please forgive me, I am doing my best rn so continue to be patient with me for those that are still with me.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your patience and I'm sorry again! </p>
<p>But on a lighter note, I hope you enjoyed this short ficlet! I'm sorry for taking so long with it cos it was like inspired by a post I saw agessssssss ago (this one and I've finally got through it. It's mixed feelings about this one but I didn't wanna give an update without posting anything so here we are!<br/>Thanks for reading all!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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